Tiger-Striped Sablés
These gorgeous tiger-striped cookies get their yellow hue from turmeric, and the black is accentuated by using some black cocoa in the mix. Don’t worry if you can’t find black cocoa, just use the darkest Dutch process cocoa you can find (I like Valrhona, and you can find both at Kalustyan’s or King Arthur Baking Co.). How the stripes line up is a little bit random, but they will look beautiful no matter what. Even if you just mush the two doughs together, you will get a beautiful marble pattern. This technique was inspired by Chris Morocco’s Zebra cookies he created for Bon Appetit from 2018, which I styled for the issue. They were so much fun to make, I decided to take it one step further, adding even more layers.
Makes 36 cookies
For the Turmeric Dough:
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (65 g)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
1 cup/128 g all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
For the Chocolate Dough:
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (65 g)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon/106 g all-purpose flour
¼ cup/24 g Dutch process or a combination of Dutch process and black cocoa
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
To finish:
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Black sanding sugar or Turbinado sugar, for rolling
Make the turmeric dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, and using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy and light, 2-3 minutes, scraping the bowl once or twice. Add the vanilla and egg yolk, and beat again until well combined, scraping as needed, about 1 minute.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, turmeric, ginger, and salt.
Add the dry ingredients all at once and beat on low speed until the flour is moistened, then raise the speed to medium-high and beat until the dough comes together, about 1 minute. Give it a few kneads in the bowl, then turn out onto a sheet of plastic and wrap tightly. (leave at room temperature.
Make the chocolate dough: Without washing the bowl, repeat process of making the turmeric dough by combining the butter and sugar in the bowl and creaming until fluffy and light, 2-3 minutes, scraping the bowl once or twice. Add the vanilla and egg yolk, and beat again until well combined, scraping as needed, about 1 minute.
Meanwhile, in the same medium bowl you used before, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients all at once and beat on low speed until the flour is moistened, then raise the speed and beat until the dough comes together. Give it a few kneads in the bowl to make sure everything is well-mixed. Scrape the dough out of the bowl and onto a lightly floured work surface.
Divide each ball of dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, pat out ½ the chocolate dough to a 6-inch by 4-inch rectangle. Top that with ½ the turmeric dough, patting it out to roughly fit (it doesn’t have to be exact). Repeat the process so you have 4 layers in total. Use a knife or bench scraper to cut the dough in half crosswise. Stack one piece on top of the other so you now have 8 alternating layers.
Using a rolling pin, roll the piece of dough until it is approximately an 8-inch by 6-inch rectangle. Cut in half crosswise again. Squish each piece into a rough log.
Place one log on the lower third of an 18-inch long piece of wax or parchment paper. While holding the bottom of the piece of paper, fold the top part over the dough, and tap firmly on the dough (through the paper) until it starts to form a log. Open the paper, squish the ends in a little and shorten the log, bring it back down to the lower third of the paper, and repeat the process, pressing firmly so the paper tightens around the dough. It should form a nice, tight, round log about 6-7 inches long and 2 inches in diameter. Roll it up in the paper, twisting the ends, and gently lay it down in the refrigerator to chill until firm, at least 2 hours. Repeat with the second piece of dough. You can refrigerate until ready to use (about three days in the fridge, and longer in the freezer).
Heat oven to 350°F. Remove one of the logs from the refrigerator, unwrap, and brush very lightly with the egg white. You just want it sticky enough for the sugar to stick to, but not so much that it’s dripping.
Spread about ½ cup black or turbinado sugar on a small sheet pan, and roll the dough log, which will be quite hard, into the sugar, so you can get a nice, even coating of sugar on the whole roll. Press it quite firmly as you roll, sprinkling and pressing the sugar in as needed. Slice the cookies a scant ¼-inch thick and place them 2 inches apart on a parchment or silicone mat-lined sheet pan.
Bake 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom. Transfer immediately to a wire rack and cool completely. The cookies will keep well in an airtight container for up to a week, and also freeze well.
Tips:
If you want your cookies to be a little more “perfect”, chill the cookies in the freezer for about 10 minutes before baking, and add 2 minutes to the baking time.
The turmeric may stain your work surface or utensils, so work on a piece of wax paper if you’re concerned.
A good way to check the cookie’s color is to lift it up with a slotted spatula and look underneath, as they are too fragile to flip.